Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a toner for use in image-forming methods such as electrophotographic methods, electrostatic recording methods, and toner jet methods.
Description of the Related Art
There has been demand in recent years for higher speeds and a lower energy consumption from printers and copiers, and there has thus been demand for the development of toners in which the heat-resistant storability and low-temperature fixability co-exist in good balance.
In response to this, a large number of toners that use a crystalline resin-containing binder resin have been investigated. Crystalline resins exhibit a high viscoelasticity as a solid in the temperature range below their melting point and exhibit a sharp decline in the viscoelasticity when the melting point is exceeded, and it can be expected that, by utilizing this property, the heat-resistant storability can be made to co-exist with the low-temperature fixability.
However, a problem with toners that use a crystalline resin-containing binder resin is that in actuality the crystalline resin undergoes a decline in its crystallinity and a portion of the uncrystallized crystalline resin then plasticizes the binder resin, thus ultimately causing a deterioration in the heat-resistant storability.
In response to this, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Nos. 2006-113473 and 2011-141489 provide inventions that achieve an improved heat-resistant storability through the addition of a crystal nucleating agent to the crystalline resin-containing binder resin in order to inhibit the decline in the crystallinity of the crystalline resin.